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The Teeth Whitening Procedure

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest ways to obtain a beautiful, brighter smile. Almost anyone is a candidate.

Our top dentist and team usually start with an examination and a cleaning. We make sure there are no leaky fillings or teeth that would be damaged by the strong bleaching gel. If you are good to go, we then take impressions of your teeth and make a set of snug-fitting trays that fit over them.

You are then ready to take the teeth bleaching gel that we give you and use it for as long as you want, until your teeth are the whiteness you desire.

How It Works

The bleaching gel contains peroxide. When you wear the trays with the gel, the gel soaks deeply into your teeth where it releases oxygen, which oxidizes the stains. The longer you use the gel, the whiter your teeth become.

Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening Products

There are many advertisements for over-the-counter products that promise whiter teeth. Most common are the ads for teeth-whitening toothpastes.

Whitening toothpastes may remove surface stains from the teeth. But since the toothpaste has no time to soak into the teeth, even if it has some peroxide in the formula, it can’t do anything more than remove surface stains.

With other products that provide trays, there are safety issues. Because they are used without supervision, the concentration of the peroxide needs to be fairly weak, which makes them not very effective. If you have tried any of these products and been disappointed, don’t let that convince you that your teeth can’t be made whiter. The gels that we use are strong and produce dramatic results.

Is Teeth Whitening A Permanent Procedure?

This procedure actually oxidizes the stains, so they are gone forever. So yes, it is permanent in that sense. However, as you go on with your life and drink coffee, cola beverages, or highly pigmented fruit juices, or eat berries or other foods that have pigments, your teeth will gradually pick up additional stains. Your teeth will still be whiter than they would have been had you never bleached them, but you may want to have a short “touch-up” treatment every year or two to maintain their maximum whiteness.

If you would like to whiten your smile, you may call our office to schedule an appointment or request an appointment online.

“Absolutely the best! Dr. Newkirk and his staff are head and shoulders above their peers, with affordable dental care and cosmetic dentistry that will leave you wondering why you didn’t visit them sooner.”